Facebook announces ‘Watch,’ a YouTube-like streaming service

RNN) – On Tuesday, Facebook announced it will be publishing original TV shows through a service titled “Watch,” a platform people can run through the site.

Watch will be available on mobile, desktop and through smart TV apps. The shows Watch publishes are made up of episodes – some live and others recorded.

Like Netflix, Watch will have a “Watchlist” so people can keep up with shows and be notified when a new episode is pushed.

“Watch is personalized to help you discover new shows, organized around what your friends and communities are watching,” Facebook said.

The service will have sections like “Most Talked About,” “What’s Making People Laugh” and “What Friends Are Watching.” These categories are populated with data pulled from user’s viewing habits, as well as how they “reacted” to the episode; Facebook allows users to review an episode with its novelty Like/Reaction buttons.

Users can also see the comments on a Watch episode while watching, or participate in a dedicated Facebook Group for the show.

Watch will publish a wide range of content, from live sports to comedy to reality TV. The opening library will feature 18 shows, one hosted by Dirty Jobs’ Mike Rowe.